Page:Sanskrit Grammar by Whitney p1.djvu/122

 280. The instrumental of means or instrument or agent is yet more frequent: thus, (RV.) may we hear with our ears what is propitious;  (MBh.) death by the sword;  (MBh.) some were slain by the elephants with their feet;  (AGS.) anointing their eyes with fresh butter, by help of the bunches of -grass, with the thumb and ring-finger, using the two hands successively. And this passes easily over into the expression of occasion or reason (for which the ablative is more frequent): thus, through pity;  in virtue of that truth.

281. Of special applications, the following may be noticed:

a. Accordance, equality, likeness, and the like: thus, (AV.) a brightness equal with the sun;  (MBh.) to the dust of whose feet I am not equal.

b. Price (by which obtained): thus, (RV.) he buys with ten kine;  (R.) let Çabalā be given me for a hundred thousand cows;  (MBh.) the king will give thee the secret science of dice in return for that of horses.

c. Medium, and hence also space or distance or road, traversed: thus, (RV.) they brought [him] as it were a ship by water;  (RV.) come hither by god-traveled paths;  (MBh.) they went off through the air.

d. Time passed through, or by the lapse of which anything is brought about: thus, (MBh.) I wish to go to Vidarbha in the course of one day;  (R.) and they in a long time attained adolescence;  (M.) there in time are born men long-lived. This use of the instrumental borders upon that of the locative and ablative.

e. The part of the body on (or by) which anything is borne is usually expressed by the instrumental: as, (H.) a dog is carried on the shoulder; and this construction is extended to such cases as  (H.) put on (i.e. so as to be carried by) a balance.

f. Not infrequent are such phrases as (R.) 'what is the use of (i.e. is gained by) much talking?  (MBh.) what object is life to me?  (H.) but what has a well man to do with medicines?

g. An instrumental of accompaniment is occasionally used almost or quite with the value of an instrumental absolute: thus, (Pañc.) with me at hand, thou need’st feel no anxiety whatever on this point.